In a shallow mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and half-and-half and pour into a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Make 8 peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches and place them in the egg batter, turning twice to coat all sides. Lightly grease a griddle or skillet and heat to medium-high. Fry the sandwiches about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve with confectioners’ sugar and hot syrup.
Makes 8 servings.

Poppy Seed Bread is popular at brunches and for good reason. It’s crunchy, beautiful, and totally delicious. This easy version adds the nutty richness of whole wheat and molasses. You can toast it or serve it with butter and/or jam. I even make thin-sliced cream cheese sandwiches out of it. Like so many rich breads, it’s even better the second day. SAM

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans and set aside. With an electric mixer on medium speed or a pastry fork, beat together the eggs, oil, molasses, and sugar until smooth. Combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and baking soda and add to the egg mixture alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition. Add 6 tablespoons poppy seeds and the vanilla extract. Pour into the prepared pans and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons poppy seeds. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out onto the rack to cool completely.
Makes 2 loaves or 24 servings.

Sure, you can buy roasted peppers, but make your own and you can flavor them any way you want. SAM

3 large red bell peppers
1 cup olive oil

Place each pepper on a hot grill or over the gas flame of a stovetop. Turn occasionally, allowing the skin to blister and blacken, about 20 to 30 minutes. When each pepper is thoroughly blackened, place it in a glass casserole, cover, and steam for 5 minutes. Rinse away the blackened skin under cold running water. Peppers will be very hot. Slice and seed the peppers, place them in a pint jar, and cover with olive oil. Store in the refrigerator.

In a large saucepan cover the potatoes with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain, cool, peel, and roughly chop. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the onion, celery, olives, parsley, salt, pepper flakes, lemon juice, and oil. Add the hot potatoes and toss gently to blend. Carefully fold in the eggs. Sprinkle with paprika, cover, and chill.
Makes 8 servings.

A Continuing Story of Great Food and Tempestuous Love

Episode 36: Oh, Promise Me!

Sam is right. There is on this wedding day unprecedented music in the spheres.

Blessed by chance and fine ingredients, swept up in the power of love and good cooking, bound together by the certain glory of a life to come, Harry and Sam pledge each to the other the tag ends of their earthly days.

Harry's mother sighs; Sam's sisters cheer; their friends weep for joy, struck by the light of love shining in their eyes.

'Oh, promise me,' their butcher's niece, a voice major from Julliard, sings.

And they do.

The End.

Previously on The Rocky Road of Love

For links to the back story of The Rocky Road of Love, see Previous Episodes at the top of the Home page or click on individual episodes in the Pages box below.